The Bird and the Worm
by darkest just before the dawn
Summary: After nearly being run over by his car, she found herself at the mercy of a certain Shadow King. Kyoya/Oc
1. Crash

_If you're the bird whenever we pretend it's summer_

_Then I'm the worm, I know the part, it's such a bummer_

_But fair is fair, if my segments get separated_

_I'll scream and you'll be there_

**Chapter 1 of The Bird and the Worm: Crash**

_"Are you afraid of me?"_

_ My bottom lip quivered as I pressed my back against the wall. "Y-yes," I answered in a quiet whisper._

_ He smirked deviously as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his index finger. The sleek frames of his glasses caught the bright sunlight and glinted briefly through the shadows._

_ "Good."_

_

* * *

_

"Shit, shit, shiiiittttt," I grumbled under my breath as I pedaled down the street with all my might. I could feel the cool air around me whipping against my face and the stray strands of hair that escaped my ponytail kept getting in my eyes.

I was being reckless as I whizzed by houses and convenience stores. I knew that it was dangerous for me to speed across intersections without paying attention to the stop lights, but I couldn't afford to be late again. That would be third strike against me and then I would be fired. I couldn't afford to lose this job. There were bills to pay, school tuition to pay, and groceries to buy that my mother's salary alone wouldn't cover.

Such was the life of a "commoner". Hell, we even had to resort to food stamps sometimes.

It hadn't always been like this though. Not too many years ago I had been attending one of the most prestigious schools in all of Japan and was the heiress to a multi-million dollar fortune, but things were different now. And for better or for worse, this was the life I was living now.

It wasn't exactly ideal to live from paycheck to paycheck, but it certainly had humbled me from my spoiled roots.

I pedaled faster as I speed down the street, swerving occasionally to avoid hitting obstacles such as cars, bushes, mailboxes, and poor, unsuspecting pedestrians.

I stood up on my pedals, my breathing had become ragged. My legs ached, but I kept pushing myself. I could feel the beads of sweat sliding down my temple and neck. My clothes were damp from perspiration and began sticking to my frame.

As I skidded dangerously around a turn in the street I saw a black car slowly pull out a few feet in front of me.

I tried to back pedal on my brakes to slow down and stop, but no dice.

I tried again, but it still didn't work.

"What the-"

I closed my my eyes tight. This couldn't be happening.

Why? Why? Why?

Before my brain could process what was happening, the front tire of my bicycle had hit the side of the car with such force that the impact sent me flying off of my bike seat and tumbling over the hood of the car.

It was rather amazing how slow time seemed to go by when you think you're seconds away from your own death. It almost felt like flying. Almost being the keyword here. Or should I call it falling with style? The entire tumble felt like it was in slow motion, but time quickly sped up again as soon as my body slammed into the pavement in the middle of the street.

I felt the side of my head crack against the asphalt. My forehead felt wet, a feeling which soon spread to the side of my face as if I was laying in a pool of luke warm liquid.

Must be blood, I thought hazily.

My eyelids felt heavy.

I heard a car door swing open.

Through my blurred vision I saw a middle aged man wearing a black suit and dark sunglasses kneel down beside me.

I heard another car door open. "Is she alright, Tachibana?" A deep, but still slightly school-boyish voice asked. I couldn't see the speaker from where I was laying, but I could hear his footsteps as he walked towards me.

The last thing I remembered was hearing the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

When I finally came to I was in a hospital bed with a bandage around my head. I was still wearing the same clothes I had been in earlier so I knew I hadn't been out for too long. The room was dark except for the bits of sunlight that made its way through the little slits in the blinds over the window.

The sun was still out so it was probably mid-afternoon by now? I couldn't be too sure.

I lifted my hand up and gently touched the bandage around my head. The right side of my forehead felt a little sensitive. I figured I probably cracked my head against the road when I fell. I wondered how many stitches were there and how big the gash was. My head throbbed as if it were about to burst.

Just my luck. Getting into an accident was like rubbing salt into my already wounded pride. Not only was I late for work now, but my boss was probably furious and had no idea I was in the hospital with a head injury.

The door to the room clicked open and someone came in and sat down in the chair beside the bed I was in. Even though the room was dark, I could make out his slim, lanky figure, but the details of his face were obscured by shadow.

"We're going to be covering your medical expenses even though you're really the one at fault," he informed me smoothly. I recognized the voice from earlier, but it sounded far more restrained and calm now.

"Damn right you're covering my bills," I said as I sat up straight. I doubt I would be able to pay for a fraction of bills anyway with the chicken feed I was paid at my job. "And it was not my fault! My brakes weren't working and your car came out of nowhere!"

I knew how rich kids operated. The instant they got into a little accident they went running to mommy and daddy to cover up the evidence and save their sorry privileged asses. They would do anything they could to keep something like this out of the newspapers. They thought money could solve all their problems. The newspaper gossip columns would have a field day if they uncovered that one of the future leaders of the country had nearly killed a poor, working class girl like myself. They probably would have an even bigger field day if they realized who I was, or rather, who I used to be.

"You can stay here at the hospital until you feel better," he offered half-heartedly.

"How generous of you." I jumped off the bed and grabbed my jacket off the side table. I started slipping my arms through the sleeves. "Well, thank you for your hospitality, but I really need to go-" I froze when my eyes finally landed on him for the first time, my left arm only halfway through the sleeve, my mouth slightly agape in horror.

Oh, crap.

The beams of sunlight that crept in through the blinds glinted off his metal rimmed glasses and not one strand of his short jet black hair was out of place. Those features were something you never forget. Not in a thousand years. Especially that contemptuous insincere smile, which indicated in every way that he thought he was better than you and everyone else. The cuffs of his button up shirt were rolled up neatly to his elbows and there wasn't any noticeable crinkle or crease of fabric in the clothes he wore. To the untrained eye, I'm sure he looked suave and cool, but I had seen his true colors once before. I was all too aware of the calculating mind that lay behind those cold grey eyes.

He sat in the chair with his hands in his lap, fingers twined. One of his legs was crossed over the other, his right foot resting on his left knee. The air of superiority that was wafting around him was almost suffocating me.

He smirked at me as he adjusted his glasses. "It's been a while, Michi."

* * *

**A/N:** Let me know what you think so far, constructive criticism is always welcome. :3

Peace Out.


	2. Debt

**Chapter 2 of The Bird and the Worm: Debt  
**

"You might want to sit back down," he instructed me in a very calm and collected voice.

My body felt as if it had no other choice, but to obey his wishes. It was already enough of a shock to see his face again after such a long time. I instantly plopped myself down on the side of the bed so my feet were dangling over the side, my shoes barely skimming the checkerboard tiled hospital floor.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"My...my head hurts a bit and I feel kind of dizzy," I replied as I hunched my shoulders over. I felt like a small cornered animal that was in the sight of a predator, a very vicious predator with sleek, thin, metal framed glasses.

Geez, those glasses could give someone nightmares.

"The doctors said you''ll probably have a concussion for a few days after such a severe head trauma," he explained.

"Mmm." At least he wasn't berating me or calling me an idiot.

"I've already called a cab to take you home."

"Thank you," I mumbled before looking up at him hopefully, "so I can leave at anytime?"

He nodded. "The doctor just needs to examine you before you check out, but after that you're free to go wherever you want."

Was Kyoya Ootori really being polite to me and treating me like an actual hospital patient or what? Or was he just trying to hide his disdain for me under the circumstances? He was doing a pretty darn good job of it so far.

I swung my legs back and forth as silence took over the room. His presence had a way of making me feel extremely childish and immature even though I was a few months older than him.

I felt his eyes analyzing me like I was information on a piece of paper. It was so uncomfortable and somewhat dehumanizing.

"However, before you leave, we have business to discuss. You need to pay back your debt. Two-hundred-and-fifty thousand yen. Mind you, that's only a rough estimate of the cost."

I knew his politeness was too good to last. I should have realized all of his previous courtesy was simply a way of buttering me up for bad news. He was a sadistic man after all.

"Umm, I'm not quite following..."

"I said we'd cover your hospital bill, but the damage done to the car is an entirely different matter."

I wanted to smack that smug look off his face. I tried in vein to appeal to his side of reason. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm sorry about the _little _dent in your fancy car, but my bike is probably trashed. We both know that amount is almost nothing from your family's pockets. I need to save up to buy a new bicycle on top of helping my mother pay for my family's finances. You know, stuff like bills, groceries, school tuition, rent...things normal people worry about."

"If I recall, you weren't exactly a normal person a few years ago."

"My circumstances have vastly changed since then if you haven't noticed," I shot back. "Look, what happened in the past was a bad mistake. I think my family has already paid enough for it so please just stop whatever you're scheming in that thick head of yours. Two-hundred-and-fifty thousand yen is more than an entire month's rent for my family. If we get behind we could be evicted."

Another futile attempt to appeal to him. From the unchanging expression on his face I could tell my desperate words weren't reaching him and were falling on deaf ears.

My shaky hands tightly gripped the sheets on the bed. I usually wasn't the type of person who would feel intimidated by another, but I knew in this case that I was severely outmatched. Compassion wasn't something that came easily to him, past experiences had taught me that much.

He leaned back in his chair. "So now the question is, how do we settle this matter?"

I scoured my brain for a suitable answer, but nothing came to me. My mind was drawing a complete blank.

I had a feeling he wasn't angling for me to be paying him back out of my own pocket. No, that wouldn't be his style. He would want to drag out my debt to him as long as possible. I'm sure he had something much more humiliating in store.

I was trapped between a rock and a hard place and neither looked too tempting.

I would have much preferred getting needles stuck in my eyes or having my fingernails peeled off. Anything would be better than being at the mercy of an Ootori. They were ruthless when it came to business.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked quietly, dropping my gaze.

He stood up, his cool smile unflinching. "I have a few ideas. We'll be in touch." He walked over to the doorway and paused. He looked over his shoulder at me with that evil smile still stuck on his face. "Also, I'm tacking the cab fare to your debt."

Tch. Jerk. I bet I could strangle him and no one in their right mind would miss him.

He closed the door behind him and I listened for his footsteps to completely disappear before flopping back on the bed and staring up at the ceiling.

How was it that my entire world went from riches to rags to upside down and inside out so quickly? Not to mention, everything was coming full circle now that Kyoya Ootori was trying to weasel his way back into my life. As if he hadn't done enough damage before, he was still as intent as ever on making me suffer for one of my family member's mistake.

I pushed those thoughts out of my mind though. That was in the past, I needed to move forward, but how could I now that he was trying to pull me down again?

I clenched my fists as I sat back up. If he was set on making me miserable I was going to give him hell every step of the way.

* * *

It was early evening when the doctors finally gave me the okay to leave, but they gave me a scrap of paper with a prescription for pain medication written on it in almost illegible gibberish. Great, pain medication was only going to cost _more _money, I thought bitterly as I shoved it into my pocket. They had wanted to keep me overnight, but I flat out refused. I couldn't afford to miss any more work.

I asked the cab driver to drop me off a few blocks away from my apartment in the shopping district of the city. He assured me my ride home was already paid for, but Ootori had already informed me that I would be paying him back for the cab ride as well so I figured the sooner he dropped me off the better.

When I hopped out of the car it was already past nine o'clock. The sun had already set over an hour ago and the sky was black. Only a few stars in the sky were visible due to the light pollution in the city.

My mother and sister were probably worried sick about me by now, but I didn't have a cellphone to call them and I didn't have any spare change to use a pay phone. I guess I would just have to surprise them later when I returned at my leisure.

The weather was slightly chilly, I was glad I had my jacket on, and the cherry blossom trees that lined the streets were just starting to blossom. Most of the trees were still covered in buds. Spring was just around the corner and soon the new school year would start.

In less than two weeks, I, Michi Ishida, would be starting my third and final year at high school.

I strolled down the street a bit, puffing my warm breath on my hands every few minutes to keep them from feeling like ice. I also was careful not to step on any cracks in the sidewalk, least I break my mother's back. A stupid superstition, I know, but one that I have lived by since I was five,

I passed a lot of small boutiques where I usually shopped with friends. Just because my family wasn't as well off as we used to be and that we clipped coupons religiously now didn't mean that I didn't splurge my paycheck every once in a while on new clothes. A frilly blouse here, a pair of new shoes there, and maybe a nice summer dress whenever it struck my fancy. These shopping sprees were usually short lived as I would inevitably be overcome with guilt at having spent my money on frivolous items.

I was a teenage girl with the normal weaknesses that plagued most of the females in my age demographic. Shopping was an indulgent sin of mine, one that most seventeen year old girls were tragically guilty of having committed.

I stopped in front of an ice cream shop and sat down on the curb in front. The door of the shop was propped open and I could hear the soft tinkling of music floating out through the door from within the small building.

The bandage that had been wrapped around my head had been removed and replaced with a square folded piece of gauze that was attached to the side of my forehead with white surgical tape. Blood was still seeping out through my stitches and was coming through the gauze, turning the center of the cotton cloth a rusty red color.

Even though it still felt rather raw and painful, I kept poking it every minute or so just to pass the time as I sat on the cold curb and waited. I seemed to be doing quite a bit of sitting today.

My stomached growled loudly, demanding food.

"Shut up," I hissed at my internal organ. I knew scolding my stomach wouldn't do anything, but it gave me a piece of mind.

Thirty or so minutes must have passed as I sat by myself, counting the number of blue cars that drove past.

I counted thirty-seven (forty two if I included vespas and motor scooters and fifty six including bikes) when I heard the door to the store behind me close and lock. I turned my head around and lit up when I saw the familiar form of my friend leaving the ice cream store. He had the average walk of an average teenage boy with his head bowed and a hand shoved in his pocket.

Unfortunately for him, I could spot him from a mile away. Or in this, only a few yards of distance between us. His tall frame did make him rather distinctive in a country where the average male height was a good ten inches beneath him.

"Ah! Daiki-kun!" I waved my arms around to attract his attention.

My friend cocked his head at me as he removed the silly uniform cap he was required to wear as part of his job. "Michi? Why are you here?"

"I was just kind of bored," I said simply with a skewed grin. I patted the space next to me with my hand as an invitation for him to come join me sitting on the curb.

He sighed as held his book bag over his shoulder in a typical school boy fashion and complied.

Daiki Eniwa was tall for a seventeen-year-old, last I had asked him he was nearing six feet and three inches. I barely reached his collarbone when I stood up straight. Last year he had hit a miraculous growth spurt, outgrowing his school uniform enough that part of his shins were exposed until he could replace it with a new one. He wasn't lanky though like most boys in our year, he had a rather muscular yet lean build from years of boxing and he always had white cloth wrapped around his knuckles even when he was at work.

It was almost ironic that such a tough looking guy like him worked at a popular ice cream shop. Especially one that had cute Arctic critters like little polar bears and white rabbits painted on its front window. Their work uniforms were also slightly ridiculous, white caps with bunny ears sticking up out of the sides and frilly aprons. Yes, even the men had to wear them. He didn't seem to mind in the least though, which is something I admired about him. He didn't give a damn about what others thought about him.

In addition to him being a bona-fide badass (although, I was the only person who referred to him as such, no one messes with you in school when they know you're friends with the captain of the boxing club), he was my closet friend.

He ruffled his short brown hair between his fingers. "I thought you said you had work today and..." he arched an eyebrow as he noticed the conspicuous piece of gauze tapped to my forehead, "what happened to your head?"

"Oh? You just noticed that, did you?" I scrunched up my nose as I tried to push the unpleasant memory out of my head. "I rescued a kitten from a tree for a little girl."

He scratched his chin. "Must've been one nasty kitten."

I rolled my eyes and exhaled heavily. "You have no idea."

I had more an assortment of more colorful words in mind when it came to describing Ootori. Insufferable prick, for instance. Smug asshole. Rich bastard. Insensitive, sociopathic jerk. I mentally kicked myself to prevent my mind from getting too carried away, but thinking of rude nicknames for him was just too much fun.

I nudged him in the ribs. "Treat me to dinner, I had a rough day."

He frowned at me before shifting his eyes away. "I'm not made out of money, you know."

I put my hands together and gave him the cutest, watery eyes I could muster. "Please, please, pleeeaaassseeeeee! I almost died today!"

Okay, so that was a bit of an exaggeration, but I was starving. I was allowed to be a bit overly dramatic when my stomach was rumbling like an angry carnivore.

After biting his lip for a minute, he threw his hands up and relented. "The usual then? A milkshake, fries, and a burger?"

"Now you're talking!" I jumped up, grabbed Daiki's arm, and began tugging him down the street as I followed my nose to the nearest burger joint.

**A/N: **Things started out kind of dramatic with the bike crash, I'm trying to lighten up the mood now by introducing side characters and showing a bit of Michi's personality when she's not around Kyoya. She's supposed to be a rather perky, happy girl, but he definitely intimidates her.

And you guys are seriously spoiling and flattering me with your reviews.

Musical Inspiration- _Alejandro _by Lady Gaga (DON'T CALL MY NAME DON'T CALL MY NAME ALEJANDRO)

*100 yen is _roughly_ equivalent to 1 USD, so 250,000 yen would be around 2,500 USD (it's actually a bit more than that, but you get the picture)

Peace out.


	3. Abduction

**Chapter 3 of The Bird and the Worm: Abduction  
**

I made a triumphant pose with my arms over my head and my legs spread shoulder width apart after I walked through the doorway -the bell above the entrance made a shrill _ding_ sound as I had passed under it- into the bookstore.

"I am here for work! And I'm on time today!"

My boss, a crotchety looking old man with thinning white hair, thick rimmed glasses, and a slight hunch back, didn't look impressed. "What? You want a treat for coming to your damn job? Get your lazy ass to work, these books aren't going to sort and sell themselves." He also had a bad habit of cursing like a sailor.

I saluted. "Yes, sir!" I had been out of commission for a little less than a week due to my concussion, but now I was at full health again thanks to four days of rest and a few chocolate milkshakes, on Daiki's tab of course.

"What the hell happened to your head?" he barked as I darted past him.

I paused and looked back at my boss over my shoulder. "Didn't you read the news? A bear escaped from the zoo and I wrestled it...with my bare hands." I claimed dramatically as I raised my hands up slowly, curling my fingers inward to imitate claws.

"That sounds like a load of horse shit," he replied dryly.

I shrugged as I made my way to the back room where the office was located. After I clocked in I immediately began the task of taking inventory.

I picked up the clipboard that was on the desk and made my way through the labyrinth of shelves, making sure everything was priced correctly and to count how many books we had in each section. Shoplifting was a probably every once in a while and I was put in charge of checking every few days to make sure the receipts matched up to the books that we had sold during the week.

Working in a bookstore wasn't exactly the most exciting job in the world, but at least it provided me with some source of income. Sometimes I would get to talk and recommend books to customers, but most of my time was spent doing routine tasks such as going over inventory, organizing things -working at a bookstore makes alphabetizing became an obsession, if I see anything out of place in a DVD collection or CD rack I have the overwhelming urge to put everything in a proper order-, cleaning the front windows, dusting off shelves, and ringing up purchases.

Overall, I enjoyed it.

The bookstore was a tiny building that was painted a dull color of creamy white and was tucked away in a busy part of the city, it was easy to miss unless you knew where to find it or happened to stumble into it on accident. The front window of the shop wasn't anything flashy, just a large display window that had the shop's name, _Yamamoto Bookstore_, written in bright red and gold calligraphy lettering in English with the kanji written under it rather subtly in black. The paint was chipping, but my boss was too lazy and cheap to get it repainted. His logic was that he was going to kick the bucket soon anyway so what did he care if it looked like shit.

We mainly dealt in selling hand-me-down books, books that had been thrown away or donated to the store. Despite the small size of the shop, there were dozens of shelves spaced only three to four feet apart from one another that were crammed with books. Most of the books had torn covers, ripped seams, and pages falling out. We had humidifiers in almost every corner of the store to preserve what was left of the books so their damage wouldn't worsen over time. Most of the books were older than my mother, published decades ago and it was a wonder how they managed to remain somewhat intact over the years.

It smelt like ink and old paper inside. It was oddly comforting.

A lot of the books were foreign too, our largest section was in English. Second largest being French.

I can't even begin to recount how many times my boss had caught me with my nose in a book. Before working here I had never enjoyed reading, but business was usually slower than a snail's pace somedays and I had to pass the time somehow. The cramped spaces within the shop made it easy to hide from him, but he would find me at least once a week sitting on a stool or step ladder with my eyes glued to the pages of book such as _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn _or _The Great Gatsby_.

Usually, it took me at least five to six hours to finish counting our inventory and to make sure we were fully stocked, but my boss interrupted me when I was halfway through the French section and sent me up to the register to help costumers with their purchases.

There was a rather long line in the front, which was unusual. But it was nothing I couldn't handle. After my first part time job at a busy fast food joint, a line of a dozen or so people didn't frighten me anymore.

"Oh, you poor dear! Whatever happened to your head? It looks painful," one woman cooed with her hand hovering over her mouth in concern as she stepped up to the register.

"Saved a baby from a burning building the other day," I began as a rung up her purchase- a copy of the _Canterbury Tales_, a personal favorite of mine- with enthusiasm. "On my way out, a support beam fell from the ceiling and hit me in the head. There was all this blood and it hurt like hell, but I saved the kid." I bagged the book for her and handed her the receipt.

There were tears welling up in her eyes. "You're such a brave young girl."

"Just doing my civic duty, ma'am." I flashed a winning grin as I handed her the bag. "Have a nice day."

When I finished ringing up the last customer, I spent the next few minutes replacing the receipt paper in the cash register and making sure the counter was neat and tidy.

As Yamamoto-san, my boss, would often say to me, "If you have time to lean you have time to clean."

I drummed my fingers on top of the wooden counter after I made sure everything was in its proper place. Time had certainly come to a standstill. It was such a small, unknown bookstore that it was very rare for us to over have more than a few dozen costumers in a day.

I was the only part time employee here. My coworkers only consisted of my boss and his son who worked here full time, but I rarely saw Yamamoto-san's son.

I could hear the clock on the wall behind me ticking and I began tapping my fingers in beat with it.

After spacing out for a few minutes and seriously considering what odds I had of surviving of a zombie invasion, Yamamoto-san snapped his fingers in front of my face to get my attention just as I was making a mental note to buy a metal baseball bat if the world ever came to the zombie apocalypse. You could never be too safe, you know.

He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to point towards the left side of the shop. "Hey, there's some rich ass prissy looking boy in the foreign literature section who asked for you. Go see what he wants."

My heart sunk down to my feet. You have got to be kidding me. He's here? Right now?

I felt a surge of sickness rush through me. I almost thought I was going to heave up my breakfast and lunch right there in the bookstore. The back of my throat felt acidic as I tried to keep my food down as I navigated my way through the shelves to find him.

He was browsing the German literature section. I could see his eyes behind his lenses scanning the titles. He was holding his chin between his index finger and thumb with his elbow resting on the back of his other hand that was folded against his chest. He looked so pristine and perfect, as per usual, there wasn't even one out of place wrinkle on his t-shirt.

I dragged my feet over to him, absolutely dreading our upcoming interaction.

"May I help you find anything, sir?" I asked while making a displeased face. It was obviously no mere coincidence that he just happened to end up here at this little hole-in-the-wall bookstore where I just so happened to be working.

Stalker.

He turned his head in my direction, diverting his attention away from the shelf full of German literature in front of him. "I believe I just found what I was looking for."

* * *

I never saw the point of big, fancy limousines. Who needed so much space to themselves inside a car anyway? They seemed so overly extravagant with their shiny, black leather interior and the glass division that separated the passengers from the driver.

It was cold inside the interior as well. Even the cranberry colored hoodie I was wearing didn't keep me warm enough. I could feel the goosebumps on my arms. Perhaps this was a torture method of his?

Or maybe those goosebumps were a result of my fear?

I tried to keep a straight face, he would only try to use it to his advantage. He already had the upper hand, there was no point supplying him with more fuel to torment me.

I scooted away from Ootori as much as possible in the backseat as if he had a contagious disease. The side of my body was pressed up against the car door and I began violently jerking at the door handle in a vain attempt to force open the door and flee. It was locked. Damn!

I leaned back into the black leather seat, folded my arms across my chest, and pouted. "This is called kidnapping, you know."

His lips twitched as if he were about to chuckle at my comment.

My eyes scanned the window. Maybe I could kick it out?

Ootori seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. "Don't even think about it, it's bulletproof glass."

I sighed and sank back into the seat with a frown. "What do you want from me?"

He didn't even look up from his keyboard. I could his laptop screen reflected in his glasses.

Time to try an easier question. "Where are we going?"

He continued to type away on his keyboard without paying any attention to me.

Geez, this was frustrating! The nerve he had making me miss work! I fought off the urge to take off my shoe and throw it at him, but I didn't want to risk his demonic wrath. I was already in deep shit with him.

I sank further down into the seat and narrowed my eyes at him. I could see the corners of his lips curling up into a smile in reaction to my defeat.

I decided to ask again, I figured it couldn't hurt. I pursed my lips together. "Where are we going?"

I saw his smile finally widen as he closed his laptop with a soft click sound. There was that recognizable glint in his eyes, that glint that spoke for itself and indicated that he had a plan cooking inside his head that was going to make you squirm.

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, sat back, and crossed his legs. "You'll see."

**A/N: **Thank you all for the lovely reviews and support so far! :)

The connection between Michi and Kyoya is still a bit of a mystery, but all will be revealed in due time.

Also, I'm going to be working on this and a True Blood story simultaneously (hurray for finally stepping outside the realm of anime and manga!), I hope I can make this work out without neglecting one or the other for too long. I often get myself into trouble when I try to write more than one fic at a time. Here's to hoping all goes well! :)

Musical Inspiration- _Help, I'm Alive_ by Metric

Peace out.

p.s. Are any of you guys still following the Ouran manga? It's going to end soon. D:


	4. Proposal

**Chapter 4 of The Bird and the Worm: Proposal**

It was mid-afternoon when we arrived at our destination. Ootori stepped out of the limousine and onto the curb and beckoned me with his hand to accompany him.

My eyes started to scan our surroundings as soon as I stepped a foot outside the luxury car.

We were in front of a well known hotel that was so tall it seemed to stretch up into the sky. It was an ivory white color with a dark grey awning over the wooden front doors. There was a hedge row around the circumference of the building as well as an assortment of bright, colorful flowers. The entire hotel was like a picture from a magazine. Everything about it was perfect and geometric, the plants were perfectly maintained and there was no visible chipped paint on the exterior.

Ootori looked over his shoulder at me when he reached the large double doors, giving me a stare which clearly indicated that I needed to start walking or else.

My feet were firmly planted on the pavement though, slightly awestruck at the grand building that towered over the others around it. When I made no move to step forward I felt a rough hand from behind me propel me towards the entrance.

I swiveled my head around to see a tall man dressed in a black suit and tie with dark shades covering his eyes and his hair brushed back. In my mind he looked like an assassin.

"You should follow him, miss," he said to me in a surprisingly nice voice. Despite his intimidating dress code he seemed pleasant, but I had a feeling I would never want to be on his bad side.

I nodded and quickly whipped around before hurrying along the long red carpet extending from the doorway and after my kidnapper.

Why were we here?- was a question on the tip on my tongue that I desperately wanted to ask, but I hold it in. I didn't see the point in asking him, I had a feeling our purpose for being here would be revealed shortly.

I remained silent as I shadowed Ootori's footsteps in the lobby, unsure of what to make of this situation. Our footsteps clacked noisily against the spotted marble floor as we made our way to an elevator.

There was an elevator man waiting for us inside, or was the proper term liftman? I had some trouble remembering such trivial details from my past. All of it seemed like an unreal dream that I had been rudely awaken from three years ago. I think I was better off this way though, the sudden change in life style had certainly made me more down to earth and less materialistic.

"Which floor?" he asked cheerily. Although I don't see how anyone could be cheery while wearing a bellhop uniform.

"Twenty-five," Ootori answered as he leaned his back against the mirrored surface of the elevator walls.

The liftman bobbed his head up and down as he pressed the button labeled with the number twenty-five for us. Were rich people really too lazy to press an elevator button all by themselves? Or perhaps lifting their hand up and extending their index finger to push a button was too strenuous a task for them?

I tried my best to ignore the corny elevator music, which only sounded like an imitation and mash up of classical piano masterpieces. How no one went crazy listening to this music all day was a mystery I would never understand.

I busied myself with watching the numbers above the elevator door illuminate when we passed each floor going up.

Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen...

I caught a glimpse of Ootori from the corner of my eyes, he had a bored expression on his face. His lips were together in a straight line, his eyelids seemed to be drooping slightly, and his eyes, which usually had a calculating gleam to them, were focused on nothing in particular. He seemed to be staring across the elevator at his reflection, but I could tell he wasn't really looking at his reflection. He looked almost approachable when he wasn't acting high and mighty.

When the elevator reached the twenty-fifth floor it smoothly came to a stop and the doors opened.

Ootori ushered me out and into the hallway, which I realized was a waiting area for a restaurant. He directed me inside where a hostess greeted us warmly.

"Just the two of you?" she asked as she grabbed two menus. I saw her eyes flicker over me several times. She was probably confused as to why someone like Ootori was doing with someone like me. That makes two of us, lady.

He nodded briskly and she beckoned her us to follow her.

I vaguely wondered where Ootori's henchman, Tachibana went off to.

"He's standing guard at the entrance just in case you decided to try and escape," Ootori noted.

I tried to hide how startled his sentence had made me. What the hell? Could he read my thoughts? Or was the worry etched on my face so easy to read?

We walked under lavish archways, past marble columns with garlands twisted around them, and saw classical paintings -reproductions, I assumed- hung on every wall. The table clothes were ruby red with swirly gold designs and the sheen of the fabric was reminiscent of satin or silk. I was familiar with it all though, I had eaten here before once upon a time. However, that didn't change the fact that I felt extremely out of place.

It wasn't evening yet, but the restaurant still had a few well groomed, elegantly dressed guests who gave me curious stares as I had passed by them while following the host with Ootori right on my heels. As some of these wealthy aristocrats would say, I looked like a lowly "commoner". I'll admit that I wasn't wearing the nicest or most fashionable outfit that I had in my wardrobe; dirty sneakers, dark denim jeans, and a cranberry colored zip up hoodie didn't exactly fit the status quo of this fanciful restaurant. I wasn't too sure I wanted to fit in anyway.

I felt Ootori's eyes on the back of my head like a hawk as we trailed the hostess.

He was probably making sure I wasn't going to run away. Not that I could. His body guard, a stern faced man he called Tachibana, was standing at the entrance like a guard dog.

The hostess, who was dressed in black slacks and nice white button up blouse sat us outside on the balcony that overlooked part of the city. She handed us our menus with a genial smile and assured us a waiter would come over to us soon.

I murmured my thanks before opening my menu and using it to hide my nervous face from Ootori. Occasionally I would peek over the menu to see if he was watching me, which he wasn't. He was already looking over his own menu.

"Order whatever you like," he said without so much as glancing over at me. It seemed to be a habit of his to not look at while he talked, not that it bothered me much. The less attention from him the better.

"O-okay," I replied shakily as I brought my eyes back to the menu. Everything was written in English in some fancy, over embellished cursive font. It almost looked like some language from an alien planet.

The waiter came over sooner than I expected and I hadn't made a decision as I was trying to be price conscious. When the waiter asked me what I wanted I hesitated and Ootori jumped in to answer for me and ordered the Dinner Special for both of us, whatever the hell that was.

I made a face at him. He shrugged.

The waiter took our menus away and promised to be back soon with drinks and salads for us.

As soon as he was gone I crossed my arms against my chest and shot a poisonous glare at Ootori. "Thank you for perpetuating the female stereotype that we can't order for ourselves."

"I wasn't implying any such thing, you were just taking too long."

I tapped my foot on the floor, restless and anxious. There had to be a reason why we were here so why wasn't he telling me?

Our waiter came back soon with our drinks, sparkling water, and fresh garden salads with a few pieces of fruit mixed in and croutons sprinkled on top.

I picked up the salad fork and began playing with the salad set down on the elegant table in front of me in an unladylike fashion. I decided to hell with manners and etiquette. There was no reason for me to try and act proper in front of Ootori.

And was he actually treating me to a meal? This was just too suspicious. I could tell there was an ulterior motive. He was still as slithery and slippery as a snake as I ever remembered.

My mind conjured up a scaly image of him with slit like eyes behind his glasses frames and pointy fangs that protruded downward from his lips. His thin, pink tongue flickered in and out of his mouth as though to mock me. I shuddered at the horrible mental image and pushed it out of my mind hastily. Fangs and scales only made him seem much more terrifying.

However, I knew better than to bite the hand that feed you. I was never the type of person to turn down a free meal even if was offered from a cunning viper like him.

I had just started eating the leafy green salad with red wine vinaigrette in front of me when I noticed that he wasn't even touching his own salad.

"I have a proposal for you."

I arched an eyebrow at him as I chewed a bite of salad. I placed the small fork back down on the table and tilted my head to the side as I swallowed.

"We're not even on the main course yet and you're already trying to ask me to do something for you?" I leaned an elbow on the table and picked up my drink with my other hand. He must be desperate if he had to sunk so low to ask me for help. Really desperate.

"I'm hoping we could put aside past hostilities and come to an arrangement that would suit both of our current situations. I'd be willing to wave your monetary obligation to me if you'd cooperate."

"A monetary obligation that your family can easily pay and you're only holding me accountable for as a way to blackmail me to take part in some evil scheme," I corrected without missing a beat.

He responded to me with his usual cool, relaxed smile. "As I said, I was hoping we could put our past hostilities behind us."

Ha! Like that was going to happen any time soon.

"Well, what is it?" I asked as I lifted the glass to my lips.

"I want you to be my consort for the next couple of months."

I choked on the liquid in surprise and sprayed what amount of it was in my mouth all over my side of the table. My nostrils stung from the carbonated substance.

I quickly grabbed my napkin and began dabbing around my mouth before trying to dry the table cloth before a stain would set in.

"Um, what did you say?" I asked dumbly. Maybe I had heard him wrong?

"I'll be more specific," he began in a serious voice, "I need someone to attend certain prominent events with me and is able to carry themselves well enough to pass as an heiress of a wealthy family."

After a few moments of uneasy silence I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion.

"And somehow you came to the conclusion that I would be the most suitable for this?" I threw my napkin down on the table and stood up. "Just what the hell do you think you're playing at?" My legs were shaking, but I tried to keep a firm gaze. However, trying to stand up to Ootori was like trying to take on a hundred ninja by yourself without any weapons or knowledge of ninjutsu while holding a crying infant in one hand and fifteen pound bowling ball in the other. In other words, it was a no-win situation.

He seemed completely unfazed by my anger and remained calm and collected as always.

"Michi, please, sit back down. You're embarrassing yourself."

My body was trembling and I felt no other choice but to obey his icy command. I slowly lowered myself back into the cushioned chair, fuming.

"Why me?" I asked sourly.

"Because I know you're capable of carrying yourself well and I wouldn't ask I didn't have confidence in your ability," he explained.

I cast my eyes down and fidgeted in my chair. "Aren't you afraid someone will recognize me?" I knew I was. Ootori and I had gone to the same school system all through elementary and halfway through middle school before that whole scandal happened. If someone saw me with him and recognized him it would be a humiliation that I would never live down. After all, my family had more or less been exiled and all of our connections to other wealthy and prestigious families had been almost completely cut off thanks to the Ootori group.

"If you do your job right no one will recognize you."

"So, what am I supposed to do? You want me to put on a wig and fancy dresses and act like I'm smitten with you?" What a repulsing idea, right? I don't think I could act like I adored him if my life depended on it.

"Exactly."

"Screw you." Those two words seemed to just slip out of my mouth of their own accord. I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep myself from saying more insulting things that would only dig my grave even deeper.

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow at me, his lips formed a a scowl. "What did you say?"

"That I'd be delighted to," I muttered, lowering my hand from my lips and fearing for my life.

"That's what I thought." He finally picked up his glass and took a sip. "You're going to attend an event with me next weekend. I'll be sending over some of my trusted entourage to make sure your adequately prepared appearance wise."

How thoughtful of him.

"I don't really have a choice in this, do I?"

"Unless you want to flee the country. However, I'd advise against that because my family has the resources to track you down anywhere in the world you go." He paused, his intense grey eyes focusing on mine. It took every ounce of my willpower not to look away. "You don't want to be a fugitive like your father, right?"

Ouch. Low blow.

I hunched my shoulders over and shook my head.

He smirked, pleased with my defeat and submission.

"Well, now that business is out of our way, let's enjoy our meal."

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! They motivate me to write faster. (hint hint) :D

Musical Inspiration- _Bulletproof _by La Roux

The plot will be picking up a lot from here on out with some filler here and there. I still need to introduce Michi's family and background. And don't worry, the other Host Club members will be appearing soon as well as some OC cameos from my other Ouran story. ;)

Peace out.


	5. Stress

**Chapter 5 of The Bird and the Worm: Stress**

I stared in the mirror at my reflection as I rubbed moisturizer on my face in the bathroom.

I had my bangs pinned back with a bright blue hair clip as I rubbed the cream in on my cheeks to keep the fussy strands out of the way. I had a bad habit of letting them grow too long before trimming them. My dark brown hair had a slight wave to it and was cut in a bob so the ends barely reached my chin. Shorter hair was far easier to manage than the long, wavy hair I had in middle school.

There was a little acne breakout on the bottom of my chin, probably a result of the recent stressful events that had been taking place in my life. They were just little bumps for now and not really noticeable unless you looked at my face in a certain light or at a certain angle. Nevertheless, it was annoying to have any blemish appear especially when I was scheduled to go to a high class event with Ootori the next day.

Just my luck. What rotten timing. I hated going anywhere when I had a volcano chain growing on my face.

It must be the stress, I decided.

My life had been much more hectic than I normally liked this past week. With the new school year just around the corner, my younger sister would be starting as a freshman at my high school. Another family member in high school meant that we'd have to start paying for her tuition as well, which meant that money was going to be even tighter and we couldn't afford to make any petty mistakes while balancing our checkbooks.

I liked my job at the bookstore, but it was evident that just one part time job wasn't going to be enough so I had sent out applications all week and had been going to job interviews. I hadn't heard back from any of the managers yet, but I remained hopeful.

My mom was already working anywhere between fifty to sixty hours a week at her accounting job so it was completely out of the question for her to take on another job.

My sister was exempted from working in exchange that she took on all the household chores like laundry, cooking, and cleaning, which my mom and I didn't have the time for. At first it seemed like an unfair exchange, but I had a lot more time to myself without having to worry about cooking all my own meals.

I don't know how either of us managed to juggle all of our responsibilities and still find time to finish homework and study, but I was glad we could always find a way to pull through hardships.

Dad wasn't in the family picture at all anymore. Besides a few postcards every now and then it was an unspoken rule that we didn't talk about him. I missed him sometimes and I knew my mom and sister did too, but calling him or trying to reengage contact with him was totally out of the question.

Sometimes I thought I hated him. After what he did, I don't think any of my family could ever forgive him. He practically ruined us.

I made a face at myself in the mirror before lightly slapping my hands onto my cheeks and shaking my head back and forth. No! Don't think about that! Bad, Michi, bad! Think positive, happy thoughts that don't include how Ootori is making your life miserable!

Oh, he's such a rotten brat. How I'd love to strangle him...

I washed my hands quickly with some soap and then wiped my hands on a towel hanging on a hook behind me before leaving the bathroom.

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed as I made my way to the kitchen.

My younger sister, Sachi, was in the kitchen washing the dishes. She was humming to herself as she scrubbed the grime off the dishes with a soapy sponge.

Her brown hair was tied back into a braid and she had a lavender colored apron tied around her waist. Sachi was two or three inches shorter than me, I was quite petite myself so her stature barely reached five feet even, a fact that I liked to constantly remind her by giving her silly nicknames. As the older sibling, I was proud of every inch of my height.

I walked over the fridge and grabbed a can of coke.

"Mom went to bed, right?" I asked her as I used my index finger and thumb to pull open the tab on top of the soda to open it. Instantly, fizzy brown bubbles spilled out of the opening, which I speedily licked off before they had a chance to spill onto the tiled floor.

My sister nodded briskly. "As usual, she's wiped out."

I leaned my hand on the counter by the sink and sipped my soda as I watched as my sister rinse off the dishes and the cups before placing them in the dishwasher.

From my point of view it seemed like she was thinking something over in her head. She had that look on her face that said she wasn't entirely there, her physical body was in the kitchen, but her mind was miles away.

"Something on your mind?" I pried as I took another sip.

Sachi bit her bottom lip, a sure telltale sign that she was worried. "It's nothing major, but it's odd that we still haven't received a hospital bill from when you were admitted with your head injury. They're usually very thorough when it comes to billing."

A bead of sweat slid down the side of my temple. I quickly turned to face the other way so she couldn't see my nervous face.

"That is...weird..." I said with hesitation. I chugged my coke and tossed the can in the recycling bin next to the refrigerator. I wiped my mouth off with the collar of my shirt as I made a hasty exit from the kitchen.

Sachi finished loading the dishwasher then put her fist under her chin in thought. "It's a little strange..."

I walked down the hallway with my eyes on the ground, my heart was beating furiously. I hadn't exactly planned on telling my family that I was being blackmailed by Ootori's youngest son and I wanted to keep it that way if I could, but the mysteriously missing hospital bill could ruin all of that if I didn't play my cards right. My sister was a sharp one, she would figure out if something was up if I kept avoiding the subject.

I heard the phone ring in the living room and I went to pick it up, wondering who could be calling this time of night. Maybe it was Daiki? But he was at work today at the ice cream until closing time or at least that was what he told me when I had asked if he had wanted to hang out later when I called him in the morning.

With a curious expression, I picked up the wireless receiver and pressed the cold plastic phone against my ear.

"Hello," I greeted, sounding cheerful, "Ishida residence."

"Hello, Michi. I hope you're enjoying your last week of vacation before school starts."

I gulped and my body froze. The voice on the phone sounded eeriely familiar.

I took the phone into the hallway and headed to my bedroom, trying to keep my voice quiet so no one would overhear. "Ootori, is this you?"

"Yes."

Ootori's voice alone sent chills down my spine.

I laughed nervously. "To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" My voice became grimmer with each word of that sentence I had uttered.

"I hope you haven't forgotten our arrangement," he mused, "or did you think you were off the hook?"

Yeah, right...I thought sarcastically and rolling my eyes. As if Ootori would ever let me "off the hook". I wasn't that dimwitted, it would only be wishful thinking and totally out of the question. It would glorious miracle! However, once he sank his fangs into you there was no escape in sight.

Maybe I should start signing my last will and testament? I don't think my mom would be very fond of the idea of making funeral arrangements for me, she already had enough on her plate.

"Honestly, I did try to block our whole interaction from last week out of my memory," I confessed unhappily.

"Pfft." I could just imagine his thin frame shaking in mirth in an office chair, clearly taking pleasure in my suffering. What a sick, twisted, cruel man.

"Do you have a cellphone?" he interrogated.

"No," I muttered as I stepped into my bedroom that Sachi and I shared. I slid the door closed behind me and sank to the floor with my back leaned against the door.

My sister was still busy with housework so I knew I would get some privacy in the bedroom. Also, it would be significantly harder for her to eavesdrop as she sometimes did whenever I talked to Daiki on the phone.

"I'll give you one tomorrow. We need to be able to keep in touch."

My eyes widened. "Really?" Maybe he wasn't such a bad person after all. The corners of my lips turned slightly upward into a little smile. After all, it was something to look forward to and would vastly improve my current mood.

"I do expect you to only use the cell phone to contact me in case of an emergency and to keep it on at all times if I need to call you. I'll be monitoring your phone bill so you don't add any additional numbers or expenses."

I take it back. He's still a horrible, good for nothing, sneaky, rich bastard.

I pouted. "That's no fun."

I heard him chuckle on his end of the receiver. "The cell phone will be strictly for business, understand?"

"Fine." I folded my legs under my body and huffed in exasperation. For a moment I had been looking forward to being able to text Daiki at all times of the night, but I knew Ootori wouldn't approve of me using the cell phone for any of my own personal shenanigans.

"I have some friends who will be arriving at your residence to help you get ready for tomorrow."

Friends? Ootori had friends? There were people that could stand being in the same room with him longer than five minutes? They must have incredible tolerance and stamina.

"You remember the Hitachiin twins, right?"

There was a long pause. I could tell he was waiting for me to say something on the subject.

"Ah!" I exclaimed loudly as I remembered those two impish boys before reminding myself to keep my voice down. "You mean those two terrible boys who emotionally destroyed every girl that confessed to them!"

"Just be ready to wake up early tomorrow. I don't want to hear from them that they had to drag you out of your apartment."

"A-alright..." I stammered, I was getting more and more anxious by the second. I personally hadn't been acquainted with twins. I would see them once in a while in the hallway in middle school and playing by themselves in elementary. They never seemed like the type that wanted others around.

"Ummm, Ootori?" I began again, trying to not let my voice reflect how tense I felt at the moment.

"Yes?" I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was getting bored of talking with me.

"Where are we going tomorrow?" I wiggled my toes as I waited for him to answer.

"You'll see," he said with a hint of amusement, knowing that his vague response would leave me thinking about it all night. "You like being surprised, right?"

"Well, yeah...surprises are pretty cool, but..." There was no point in trying to convince him to tell me so I dropped it. If there was anything I learned the past week about Ootori it was that he was in complete control of me and that there was nothing I could do about it.

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

I heard his receiver click as he hung up. I exhaled heavily as I placed the wireless phone on the floor next to me.

He was really taking advantage of my situation and it was very frustrating. I was just going to have to ride this out and wait for the perfect opportunity to sabotage our little deal somehow.

I cradled my head in my hands as I tried to process everything in my head. I would be lucky if my skin didn't start breaking out again tonight well I slept. As an extra step of precaution, I took the extra time to wash my bed sheets before heading to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **Already over 40 favorites and 50 alerts for this story? Dayummm, you guys. I'm feeling the love! XD I'm glad some of you readers are finding Kyoya's and Michi's interactions with one another amusing. It just wouldn't be any fun to write if they got along right off the bat or if they instantly fell for each other. Personally, I think part of really loving someone is accepting all sides of their personality. Good, bad, ugly...the right person it still going to think the sun shines out of your ass! /rambling

Musical Inspiration- _Who I Am _by Mandi Perkins

And I would like to add a special thanks to all of you who took the time to review! It means a lot to me to have your feedback because I'm still uncertain as to whether or not I'm off to a good start with this story, but I'm thrilled this is being well received so far. :)

Peace out.


	6. Nerves

**Chapter 6 of The Bird and the Worm: Nerves**

I never had so much difficultly sleeping in my life. My mind was restless and my limbs were fidgeting with anticipation. I ended up spending most of the night laying on my back, flipping my pillow over to the cool side every few minutes, staring up at the ceiling in the dark, and listening enviously to my sister's peaceful snores.

Sachi could sleep through anything; earthquakes, police sirens, screaming babies...you get the point, right? Unfortunately, I had the miserable luck of being able to be awoken by soft sounds such as footsteps in the hallway, creaking doors, and the wind outside (howling wind was the worst, it made me feel like I was caught in a scary movie). I didn't mind hearing rain crash against out bedroom window though on rainy nights, to me that was probably the most calming and serene sound in the world and I wish it would rain tonight. The tinkering sound of rain hitting a glass surface definitely would have lulled me to sleep.

I wish I had access to a few pills of Benadryl or Darmamine to help myself become drowsy. I had taken both before whenever my allergies were acting up or if I was too afraid to fall asleep after watching a horror film and they tended to knock me out like taking a hammer to a light bulb.

Every time I began drifting off into a slumber my body would involuntarily shake until I was wide awake again as if subconsciously reminding myself of the impending doom that awaited me in several hours.

Eventually sunlight crept in through the blinds, illuminating the bedroom my sister and I shared with a dull orange hue. I could hear the birds chirping and cars passing by outside. The room gradually became lighter, the orange glow slowly turning a bright yellow and shining streaks of light on every object in the room it touched. The edges of the dresser and bookshelf became crisper in my vision as the room brightened. The cracks on the ceiling became more defined as my eyes adjusted to the abundance of light.

Clearly, we needed new blinds.

I finally pulled my quilted blanket over my head when a beam of light fell on my eyes, peaking past the marginal space between the closed blinds and the window. So annoying!

My eyelids felt heavy and droopy, all of the anxiety I had been feeling during the night started to slip away. My lack of sleep was finally catching up with me. I knew it would only be a matter of minutes until I was totally dead to the world.

I heard my sister stir and yawn as she stretched her stiff arms over her head.

I buried my head under my pillow when I heard Sachi sit up. She began shuffling around the room quietly before walking over to the edge of my bed.

"Michi," she whispered while nudging my shoulder with her hands, "wake up, sleepy head. It's already past eight."

"Nooooo, too early," I mumbled weakly. I peaked out from under my pillow to look up at her face with a pitiful expression with my half opened eyes.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "I thought you said you had to get ready for something in the morning?"

I grabbed both sides of my pillow with my hands and pulled it down over my head again. "I don't want to do it." Screw, Ootori. if he needed my help then he could pry me out of my bed with a crowbar.

I heard her exhale heavily in exasperation at my attempt to resist. Sometimes she had a hard time accepting that I was older than her.

"Well, I have errands to run today and Mom's probably already up getting ready for work so you'll be by yourself today. You can at least make yourself breakfast, right?"

"Mmhmm."

As long as their was cereal in one of the cabinets and milk in the fridge I was good to go. I wasn't as gifted with culinary skills as she, but I knew how to make do with what little we had available in the kitchen. I wasn't completely undomesticated.

She huffed sharply, but didn't say anything else before leaving the room.

I could hear her muffled voice as she talked to Mom in the kitchen, but I couldn't make out any distinct words.

My eyelids got heavier and heavier with each passing second. My head was spinning and my bed felt like it slowly rocking back and forth.

I tried to stay awake to see if I could catch any of the conversation my mom and Sachi were having, but their voices only sounded like quiet murmurs.

I was half in reality and half out of it by the time I heard the front door open and close and there were no more voices to be heard.

I finally closed my eyes and let myself drift. I was so damn tired.

It hadn't occurred to me that I had fallen asleep until I suddenly heard a loud banging noise that jolted me wide awake with bloodshot eyes.

The side of my face that was laying against the pillow was resting in a small puddle of drool. I sat up straight and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. It felt gross and slimy.

With each blink of my eyes any dream I had had while asleep began fading more and more from my memory. I vaguely remembered something about pizza and space aliens, but whatever connection there had been between the two in dream world was completely lost on me now.

I scratched my head. What had that rhythmic banging sound been? Did I imagine it?

_KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK._

Ahhh! There it was again! Someone was at the front door and pounding on it a little harder than unnecessary...

I threw my covers off my body and hastily began to change into a pair of jeans and a tank top. I walked down the hallway awkwardly as my fingers fumbled with the button on my jeans while the knocking on the front door became more frantic.

Whoever was there was certainly being persistent. I hope whoever it was wasn't going to break the door down, that would be another extra expense my family didn't need or could afford.

I finally buttoned my jeans as I paused in front of the door. I ran my hands through my short hair several times to get out what knots and tangles I could before opening the door.

To my astonishment, I was greeted by two strikingly handsome and well dressed identical twins with golden eyes. The only visible differences I could see between them at first glance was their slight variation in outfit from the one another, how they each parted their hair in different directions -one to the right and the other to the left-, and that one of them had dyed this hair dark ash. I could sense an air of privilege and wealth floating around them, but it didn't have the same suffocating effect that Ootori had on me.

"Uh, hi," I muttered with a bit of a stutter, star-struck.

However, any expectation I had of them to be well mannered and courteous young men was annihilated and thrown out the window the moment they when they decided to open their mouths. I should have known better than to think that good looks meant that you had a decent personality.

"She looks homeless." The twin with the darker hair remarked almost casually.

"I think the word you're looking for is homely, Hikaru."

A vein on my forehead pulsed. I fought the urge to slam the door in their faces.

"I'm guessing Ootori sent you?" I asked coldly, choosing not to respond to their impolite comments.

"Why else would we be here?" The one with the darker hair replied with a sneer as his eyes scanned the inside of the apartment as if he had just stepped into a homeless shelter.

I sighed. "Good point." If my memory served me correctly these were the Hitachiin twins, Hikaru and Kaoru. They certainly had gotten taller since the last time I had seen them.

I folded my arms, stepped out of the way of the door, and flicked my head to the side to indicate they could come in.

They stepped inside cautiously as if they were expecting the floorboards to give way underneath their feet.

I ordered them to take off their shoes in the entrance nook and put on the guest slippers by the door before they could walk any further. They strangely seemed accustomed to this. Maybe they were acquainted with someone else living in an apartment like myself? I shook the thought of my head. Like they would ever associate with anyone like that unless they absolutely had to.

I eyed them warily as they made their way into my living room and began setting up. One of the twins had a messenger bag slung around his shoulder. He unzipped it and began taking out what looked like makeup boxes full of numerous cosmetics.

I scrunched my face as I stood in the doorway when he pulled out a wig from his bag. "I'm going to have to wear that?"

"Well, you can't very well attend a party with that sad mess of hair you already have on your head."

"What's wrong with my hair?" I shot back defensively. "I happen to like my thick wavy brown hair, thank you very much!"

They both exchanged quick glances before bursting into loud mirth. One of them was holding his sides while the other slapped his knees as they wheezed in laughter.

I stood there with a blank expression. What was so funny?

Kaoru snickered as he guided me over to a chair and forced me to sit down in it by pressing down on my shoulders.

"Now listen, what'syourname-"

"Michi," I provided for him flatly with narrowed eyes.

I winced in pain as the other twin, Hikaru, began plucking my eyebrows between little giggling spasms.

"Listen up, Michi-chan," he began mimicking a regal tone, "we were sent here by the orders of the Shadow King to make you look presentable. And that means, no short, frizzy commoner hair, got it?" He started pinning my hair back with bobby pins without waiting for me to respond.

The Shadow King? I repeated the name over in my head several times. It suited Ootori well.

"It's called bed head," I quipped.

"Well, the Shadow King calls it a short, frizzy, tangly, and unappealing mess."

"You should tell your Shadow King to shove his glasses up a place the sun doesn't shine."

He began fastening the wig onto my head as he bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing even more.

"Should we report Michi-chan's unladylike language to Kyoya-senpai?" Kaoru asked Hikaru with a scheming smile.

"He would probably punish someone who speaks ill of him. Especially if that person is nothing, but a lowly commoner." Hikaru replied with an equally playfully sinister voice.

Their two figures loomed over me with devilish expressions. I could just imagine the hell fire burning brightly behind them and hearing the screams of pain and torment somewhere off in the distance. Damn my over active imagination!

My face paled as the thought of Ootori finding new ways to make me miserable played out horrifically in my head. I diverted my gaze from the twins'.

"Forget I ever said anything, please."

* * *

My frame was slumped against the back seat of a freshly waxed, black, luxury car Ootori had sent to pick me up. Exhausted and close to making peace with whatever higher power I believed in as I felt my fighting spirit leaving me. Dealing with that particular set of twins for almost two hours probably had this effect on a lot of people.

As the minutes rolled by, I consciously scooped up the remnants of my sanity and tried to recollect my confidence, but the anxious nerves were already viciously eating away at me. It was like these little seeds of anxiety had been planted in my brain and were now growing uncontrollably into giant trees, their roots digging deeper and deeper, and the branches of the trees were sprouting doubts as if they were leaves.

I began to nervously twirl several strands of long brown hair around my index finger and bit my bottom lip.

I guess he couldn't stand the thought of his "consort" making her grand entrance in anything less than such a grand vehicle.

I had no idea what Ootori was thinking. How could I be useful to him like this? Why the hell did he even need a consort? What if someone recognized me?

I wasn't used to having so much makeup on my face, even when I was younger and had lived a life of luxury my mother didn't approve of me or my sister putting on such a simple thing as candy flavored lip gloss. I still felt too young to look this mature. I may be seventeen -almost eighteen- on the outside, but I still had daydreaming heart and mind of a ten year-old.

With those thoughts in mind I anxiously turned my attention to my reflection in the mirrored partition that separated the backseat from the driver.

The twins hadn't caked on the foundation so I didn't have a clown face, but I noticed my skin tone had been evened out. The apples of my cheeks were rosy, but it didn't look unnatural, rather it looked like a healthy glow. The eyeshadow and mascara they had applied looked very settle and they finished off my appearance with a peach toned lip gloss.

The wig that the Hitachiin twins had picked out was a nice shade of dark brown with a few caramel colored highlights. It wasn't wavy like my natural hair, but having straight hair wasn't so bad. It was also a lot longer than my normal hair style with the tips reaching well past my elbows. I suppose long hair was in style and was considered elegant? The bangs had been swept to the side and bobby-pinned in place.

The dress the twins had supplied with me with was lilac in color with thin straps and a v-neck. It was certainly nicer than anything I had ever worn in years. It reached just past my knees and the skirt was ruffled with light, wavy layers. I couldn't wait to stand up and swirl around in circles in it. That was perhaps the only thing I was looking forward to today.

I really didn't look like my normal self, but that was the point, right? The face I was staring at was almost completely unrecognizable. It was like gazing into the eyes of a total stranger or an alien.

I pinched my cheeks and wiggled the skin around a bit between my index fingers and thumbs. For some reason I felt as if I pulled and prodded hard enough my face would peel off to reveal my normal face underneath.

I made a few faces to see if I could find any similarities between my current face and the one I was far more familiar with. My nose still crinkled the same way, my eyebrows still raised and dipped on command, and I could still only skew my mouth to the right side. I felt silly doing all of this, but I imagined myself making all these faces at Ootori to piss him off.

I blew a raspberry at my reflection, pretending that it was Ootori when the car suddenly lurched to a stop. My stomach felt like it had dropped to my knees.

My heart skipped a beat and a lump formed in my throat.

This was it.

Time to sink or swim.

Put on your game face, kid.

I pumped my fists into the air, a silly ritual that I often did to encourage myself. It wasn't like anyone could see me , the dark windows of the limousine were tinted.

The back door opened and I slid over the seat to prepare to step out. However, instead of being helped out by the chauffeur like I expected, Ootori was standing less than a foot away from me and offering his hand for me to take.

How unexpectedly gentlemanly of him. I had to remind myself it was all an act, but what was he gaining from it? What merits did he gain from having a companion like me at a party with him?

He was wearing a black and dark gray pinstripe jacket with matching pants. Under the jacket he had on a light gray button up shirt with a violet tie. His glasses lenses even seemed to have an extra special sheen to them today or maybe it was just the way they were catching the light. His appearance had certainly caught me off guard. There was just something about seeing a guy in suit that made a girl's heart flutter even if she did absolutely abhor him.

It occurred to me that my dress matched his tie. Smart move, Ootori.

Plucking up my courage, I extended my hand up and lightly took his. I stepped one foot out and followed it with the other before standing up.

I wobbled a bit in the heels I was wearing before finally finding my balance.

My eyes gazed out at the venue in front of us.

Today was going to be the day where I would find out what exactly being Ootori's "consort" truly meant.

"Are you ready for this?" Ootori asked as we linked arms. "It's not too late to turn back."

I knew he was just trying to provoke me by insinuating that I still had the chance to runaway with my tail between my legs, but as frightened of him as I was I would never give him that satisfaction. I was far too stubborn.

I tilted my head up, stared him straight in the eyes, and mimicked his cool smile. "Don't underestimate me, Ootori."

* * *

**A/N: **After six chapters I'm finally getting into the juicy plot! Also, for those of who you have read the manga, Hikaru dyed his hair so it's pretty easy to tell them apart now. Hikaru and Kaoru's part in this chapter could definitely have been expanded on, but don't worry! They'll be appearing quite frequently in this story! Especially one of them in particular...

In other news...college is starting again for me soon so I don't know how that will effect updates because I have an extremely full course schedule and lots of side projects and collaborations with friends planned, but I will try my hardest to keep this story going!

Thank you all for the continued support! Your reviews make me ridiculously happy. :)

Musical Inspiration- _Uprising_ by Muse

Peace out.


	7. Indentity

**Chapter 7 of The Bird and the Worm: Identity**

The ballroom was decorated with lavish columns with colorful flowery garlands twisted around their circumferences from the ceiling to the floor. The paneled walls were decorated with gold and silver painted leaf designs. Large, crystal chandlers hung from the ceiling almost as if they were floating. It was completely garish and over the top, but I knew this is what suited _their _tastes.

Women paraded around on the arms of their dance partners dressed in an assortment of rainbow colored ball-gowns, they looked like crinkled candy wrappers wafting around in the wind. It occurred to me how plain my dress must have looked in comparison to theirs. I straightened the hem of my dress, but stopped when I noticed Ootori gave me a disapproving scowl.

The men were all dressed in fashionable suits, some in pinstriped suits like Ootori while others were a bit more plain. Most of them had facial expressions as if there was something that smelt bad under their noses.

Ootori and I were clearly the youngest guests in attendance, but only by a few short years. I noticed several young couples chatting and dancing nearby, university students perhaps.

In one corner of the room there was a band consisting of several violinists, a cellist, and a pianist playing lovely melodic music. I could feel my body swaying in rhythm with the tune.

"I still don't understand why you need me here," I grumbled over the music, but only loud enough for Ootori's ears to pick up. Out of the corners of my eyes I spied the buffet tables lined with an array of scrumptious foods. I would much rather stuff my face like a pig then have to be in Ootori's company for another second.

"Don't you think it would be considered somewhat sad and pathetic if someone as influential and wealthy as myself showed up to an event like this without a lady by my side?"

I nodded in agreement although his answer didn't quite explain why _I_ had to be the lucky one to accompany him.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked in a tone that clearly indicated that it was more of an order than a request.

"I'd rather get my ankles sawed off with a rusty saw so no thanks," I quipped, my eyes still lingering on the buffet table. It took me a full minute to realize that I had said that aloud. I clamped a hand over my mouth. Oh, shit.

I noticed a red vein tick on his temple as he gave me a strained smile. "Excuse me?"

My hand slipped down towards my waist as my face paled and I looked away in embarrassment. "Dancing would be...lovely." I said, forced. I allowed him to lead me onto the ballroom floor.

My cheeks involuntarily flushed as he placed his hand gently on my waist and took my other hand with a loose grip. My body felt a bit woozy, it had been a long time since I had danced in such close proximity with someone of the opposite sex. I mentally slapped myself across the face. This was Ootori I was thinking about! I should be disgusted by merely touching him! I fought back the urge to gag, he might have me deported to some small third world country if I even got a tiny smidgen of vomit on his well pressed suit.

"You do remember how to waltz, right?" he asked quietly into my ear.

His warm breath tickled the side of my face and I felt my face flush brighter than a tomato. I lowered my gaze to our feet to hide my expression.

"Uh-huh," I replied with a half nod. At least, I thought I remembered how to waltz, but I kept that doubt to myself. Ootori might give me his infamous instant death-glare if I said no or if I failed to live up to his standards.

On the first beat, he stepped forward with his left feet and I followed suit by doing the opposite and stepped back with my right foot. On the next beat, he stepped forward and to the right with his right feet, tracing an upside down letter L in the air with his feet as he did so.

So far so good.

He then shifted his weight to his right feet and kept his left feet stationary. On the third beat, he slid his left foot over to his right and then stood with his feet together. On the fourth beat, he stepped back on his right foot and I stepped forward on his left. I accidentally stepped to far forward and ended up crunching his right toes with the tip of my shoe.

He winced in pain, but tried to keep an unfaltering smirk on his face. His grip on my hand and waist tightened slightly as if in a nonverbal warning to not to that again.

"Sorry," I gulped. My checks began feeling hot again.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again," he warned cooly.

With the next beat he stepped backwards and to the left with his left foot and traced a backwards L, while shifting his weight to that foot. On the final beat, he moved his right foot towards his left until his feet were together again. He slowly rotated our body's orientation to the left by varying the placement of his feet, and I, being the girl who had to follow his moves, complied without resistance.

His movements were a lot more graceful than I had first thought they would be. He didn't strike me as an elegant or careful guy, but I suppose he only acted that way when the situation called for it.

We spun around the dance floor in what seemed like endless waltzing circles. The multi layers of my dress twirled in the air like light pieces of fabric caught in a breeze each time he led me to shift directions.

I caught glimpses of older couples staring at us, probably envious of our youth.

There was nothing for us to say to one another so we kept silent, but I could see his his cold and calculating eyes were scheming something behind those lenses. It was a shame he was such a prat, he did have quite a handsome face.

"Can please stop staring holes into my face?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"Ah, sorry!" I quickly stammered before I immediately shifted my gaze elsewhere. It didn't occur to me that I had been staring at him for _that_ long. God help me, I had even been admiring his facial features! What was wrong with me? He's a total monster and an extortionist! There was absolutely nothing appealing about his cold stare and attractively sharp facial features...

Before I realized what I had done, I felt the heel of my shoe stomp on his foot. Double oops.

I backpedaled away from him, embarrassed and fearing for my life as his bangs cast a dark shadow over his eyes. The Shadow King finally makes his appearance!

I took a few more nervous step backs as he edged forward towards me with a murderous aura.

Fortunately, I was saved from a terrible fate when a kindly looking old man tapped Ootori on the shoulder from behind. Upon turning around to see who it was, Ootori's face instantly wrapped back into his usual confident and charming smile.

"Ah, Matsumoto-san it's a pleasure to see you," Ootori greeted with a small bow before reaching back to grasp my forearm and pull me forward. Taking his lead, I curtsied. This old man must be important id Ootori was showing him this much respect.

The old man had a mustache and a beard that reminded me of a walrus. He had wrinkles under his eyes when he smiled and I could see liver spots on his hands. He was dressed nicely in a black suit with a dark grey tie and handkerchief peeking out of his front coat pocket. He used a cane to keep his balance, he looked quite frail.

"I'm so pleased you could make it," Matsumoto-san said cheerfully. "I believe one of your older brothers is also around here entertaining a few of my old business associates." His eyes traveled to me. I could see his dark brown eyes examine me with interest. "And who is this lovely young lady accompanying you?"

My body froze. This was the moment I had been dreading. Crap! I had totally forgot to think of a new identity for myself because I was so caught up in everything else! I gave Ootori a panicked glance, but he remained calm.

"This is a classmate of mine, Hanabusa Yuiko-san," he supplied without missing a beat. "She's the daughter of an up and coming doctor in the neurology field."

"Oh, really? Fresh blood then! This must be your first fundraising event then!" Matsumoto-san took my hand delicately and kissed it. I felt the whiskers of his mustache tickle my skin. He then winked at Ootori. "She's quite a catch young man, you best keep an eye on her unless you want another young gentleman to sweep her off of her feet."

"Oh, I'll be keeping a very careful eye on her."

I gulped and felt a cold tingling sensation shoot up my spine. If only Matsumoto-san knew what he really meant by that.

"Well, it was nice to see you again. I have other guests I must greet and make small chat with. Give your father my regards, will you?" the old man asked with earnest.

Ootori nodded as he pulled me in closer to his side as if I was his possession. "I will, Matsumoto-san."

We watched as the old man walked away and Ootori's grip on me relaxed a little bit.

"So this is a fundraising event?" I asked with wide eyes.

Ootori shifted his gaze to me and let go of my arm. "Matsumoto-san owns the largest chain of pharmaceutical companies in Japan. My family primarily deals with hospital management and equipment so our families have a very close business relationship with one another."

"He said I was lovely and that I was a catch," I mused with a dreamy expression in an effort to taunt Ootori. When I noticed I wasn't getting a rise out of up I started to sulk.

Ootori frowned. He probably thought the exact opposite of what Matsumoto-san said about me. Jerk.

I huffed in annoyance and folded me arms. "Hanabusa Yuiko, eh? When did you come up with that name?"

"Would you prefer me to introduce you as Ishida Michi? Everyone hear knows that name and I doubt they'd be very kind to you if they found out you were _his_ daughter..."

I lowered my head and clenched my fists. Low blow, Ootori.

"Well, it's quite clear you don't need me anymore this evening so I'm going over to the buffet to stuff my face and eat my angsty feelings until I feel better, alright?" I picked up the hem of my dress and stormed off towards the buffet table I had been keeping an eye on for the past hour or so while dancing with that devil, Ootori. He didn't even protest or try to stop me from leaving.

There was a large spread of food laid out over the long table. Most of if was finger foods, fresh fruits, desserts, and sweets. I even spied a huge plate of the elusive fatty tuna that commoners rarely got to eat.

I made my way over to the fruit section and took delight in the wide range of selection they had. Fruit at the marketplaces was usually very expensive and my family rarely bought it except on rare occasions. I picked up a slice of watermelon and began eating it in as a refined manner as I could, trying to bare in mind that others may be watching me so it was important to maintain ladylike behavior. It had been a while since I had had such fresh produce so I savored every nibble.

I glowered at Ootori as I saw him make small talk with other guests with that stupid, fake smile on his face. If only they knew how evil, twisted, and manipulative his true nature was. They were practically eating every word out of his mouth like hungry chicks being feed bird seeds from his hands. Those poor, unfortunate souls had no idea they were played as fools.

I felt a drip of watermelon juice dribble down my chin and I started to panic because there were no napkins to be seen.

A gentle hand tapped my side and I found myself being offered a white handkerchief by a handsome, yet vaguely familiar looking twenty-something year old.

"For you, miss. You have a little something on your chin."

I held the slice of watermelon in one hand and took his handkerchief and delicately dabbed at my chin with the lacy fabric. "Thank you, err..."

He placed a hand over his chest and bowed forward. "My name's Ootori Akito, miss. And you are?"

I felt the blood drain away from my face as he stared up at me with the same cold eyes that he and his younger brother shared.

"M-my name's Hanabusa Yuiko," I struggled to say as a lump formed in my throat.

He gingerly took my hand and lightly brushed his lips over my knuckles as his lips curled up into a wicked smirk. "It's a pleasure to met you, Yuiko-san."

* * *

**A/n: **Sorry about the wait between updates (and I'm sorry if this one is somewhat short), I have a ton of homework, more so than I anticipated, guhhhhh. Also, I was in the hospital for a good while. I'm still not feeling completely better yet and I'm still stressed out from having to stay there for so long. Hopefully, I'll get back on track with updating this story.

Side-note: Yuiko Hanabusa is the original name I had for my OC when I was planning this story, but I've drastically changed this story since I've made the outline for it. P:

Musical Inspiration- _Our War_ by Neon Trees

Peace out.


	8. Brothers

**Chapter 8 of The Bird and the Worm: Brothers**

I tried my best to keep my composure while knowing full well that this young gentlemen in front of me was none other than Ootori's older brother and someone who I had meet before in the past. And due to our history together I knew that if he saw through my disguise he would be far more dangerous to me than his younger brother. However, I was not in a position to dwell on such issues, I had to act like everything was normal before he suspected anything.

"It's a pleasure meeting you as well, Ootori-san," I said in the sweetest and most lady-like voice I could muster. "Could you possibly be one of the young sons of the Ootori Medical Group that I've heard so much about?"

He slowly released my hand and let his arm drop to his side. I could feel his eyes examining me like a scientist inspecting an insect under a microscope, but he retained his friendly smile.

"Yes and please, just call me Akito. I'm not nearly old enough for you to be so formal with me."

I paused, my face getting flustered. I felt like I was sinking into quicksand. "A-Akito-san then?"

He leaned forward with his hands in his pants pockets and smiled at me as if was trying to egg me on. "Try again."

I dropped my gaze to the floor. "A-Akito?" I looked back up at him waiting for his approval.

He nodded his head briskly. "You don't mind if I just call you Yuiko then? Or maybe just Yu-chan?"

I tilted my head to the side innocently and clasped my hands in front of me. "I don't mind at all." Pretending to be sweet to such a monster was starting to aggravate me, but I had to keep the ruse up no matter how much I wanted to sock the man in front of me right in the face.

He chuckled and offered me his arm to take. "You're too cute, Yu-chan. Will you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

I blinked. Was this is a trap or was Ootori's older brother actually-dare I even think it- flirting with me? This had to be a nightmare.

I cautiously shook my head from side to side. "Um, I'm sorry, Akito. I actually came here with another date." It pained me to say the word "date", but it applied in this case.

"Well, he really must have poor judgement to leave his cute, little escort unattended for so long."

I brushed some strands of hair behind my ear, embarrassed. Akito had no idea just who he was talking to. If he knew who I really was I would be in far more danger than I could even imagine.

"It's just one dance," he pressed, edging closer to me. "I'm sure your date won't mind."

"Well, I..." I trailed off as I tried to spy Ootori in the crowd of people around us. My eyes fixated on him in the corner of the ballroom talking with a group of older men, no doubt friends and benefactors of Matsumoto-san. Fundraisers were all about making connections and then using them, even I remembered that. He would probably be too preoccupied to notice if I danced with his older brother though the thought of being in close proximity with Akito didn't exactly thrill me, if gave me something other to do then stuff my face with food.

"You're still objecting?" his tone darkened.

"Ah, no," I replied hastily as I took his arm. "It appears my date is busy, I'm sure he won't mind either. After all, it's like you said, he's left me unattended for so long and I'm feeling rather...lonely." I glanced quickly in Ootori's direction once more to make sure he wasn't paying attention. This new development wouldn't please him at all.

Akito lead me back to the dance floor, put his hand a little lower on my waist than I felt was necessary and took my right hand in a strong grip, which alarmed me a bit.

The band began playing a new slow, rhythmic melody and I tried my best to not crunch Akito's toes with my clumsy feet as we twirled around the dance floor. I tried my best to smile at him, but it was hard to keep up the facade of feigning interest and kindness especially to a member of the Ootori family.

"So who is the young man who brought you here? Or older man, I don't judge." He joked with a sideways grin as he spoke to me over the music.

I forced a girlish giggle. "I assure you he's a _young_ man, but he can be a stubborn prat. Maybe I should put some more consideration into dating older men." I said airily. If I was going to have to be in Akito's company I figured I might as well give him the small pleasure of teasing him. He probably thought he was charming enough that if he cast a hook in my direction I would bite the line like a hungry fish and let him reel me in without a struggle.

I felt his hand wrap fully around my waist and he pulled me in closer. "Well, if you want experience with an older man and not some high school boy I can certainly entertain you for the night."

Beads of sweat trickled down my neck as I tried to ignore his offer. Was he implying what I thought he was? What a sleazy scum bag!

I pulled away from him. "What a generous offer, but I'm afraid I must decline."

He arched a sharp eyebrow at my reaction, but he still retained that cold grin that pulled up on the corners of his lips. "Perhaps I was being too forward then, Yu-chan?"

"You were," I responded bluntly with narrowed eyes as I took another step back and jerked my hand out of his grasp. "You should chose your words more carefully next time because I doubt you'll flatter any women with a mouth like that." I turned my back to him and began to march off only to feel his hands grab my shoulders and spin me back around to face him.

"You're a cheeky little one, aren't you? Do you have any idea how influential and wealthy my family is? Turning me down is like-"

"I don't care." I said flatly, cutting off his rant. "You could be the king of the moon for all I care and I still wouldn't tolerate being spoken to in such a crude manner."

His eyes flashed dangerously. "You honestly think you can refuse me?"

"I just did."

There were a few spectators watching us now with interest. I knew that it wasn't everyday that they'd witness a young lady putting a man in his place with harsh words, especially a man with the power of the Ootori family behind him.

I could hear a few of the older women behind us whispering to each other as if I couldn't hear a word they were saying.

"What a rude girl, refusing an Ootori."

"Really, such shameless behavior..."

"Who are her parents? They certainly didn't teach her any manners."

Stupid, old bats. I _can _hear you!

"I can't imagine what kind of man thought it was a good idea to bring someone as low class as you here," he sneered. I could clearly tell that rejection was something he was not used to and that he wasn't taking it well at all. He was probably used to young girls shamelessly throwing themselves at him. "Perhaps I should call on one of body guards to clear this place of the trash."

I raised my hand in the air to slap him, but someone caught my forearm before I could act. I twisted my head around to see Akito's younger brother staring calmly at me despite his viselike grip on my arm. His glasses glinted in the light, almost obscuring his eyes from view.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked, almost innocently.

Akito stared at his younger brother as if Ootori had suddenly grown a second head. "Don't tell me she arrived here with you?"

Ootori nodded, smiling. "Yes and I apologize for anything she has said. She can be a bit aggressive when she feels insulted."

Feeling insulted was an understatement was a grave understatement on Ootori's part. I was downright furious with Akito, but I forced myself to simmer down. If I made a big scene in a place Ootori would only make my life more difficult. I made a mental note to be more careful in the future about controlling my temper. In order to calm myself down, I imagined myself driving Akito's mug over and over again into one of the finely decorated columns that lined that room.

Ootori squeezed my arm. "Apologize now," he hissed at me like a venomous snake.

He let go of my arm so I could bow my head and curtsy to his older brother. "I'm so sorry for any offense I may have committed, sir." I shifted my gaze up towards him and feigned the sweetest smile I could muster. "I merely felt offended at such...forward advances."

Akito straightened his tie and turned to walk away. He slightly veered his head to look over his shoulder at us one last time, I could see an unpleasant frown pulling down the edges of his lips and a nasty look in his eyes. "Father will be hearing about this later, Kyoya. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to know what kind of company you keep."

My body froze as it dawned on me that I put Ootori in a really bad situation with his family by fighting with his brother. I hit the sides of my head with my clenched fists. Idiot, idiot, idiot!

The crowd that was watching us slowly dispersed and went back to their dancing and drinking and making small talk with one another.

All I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and disappear from the world. I was in big trouble now.

"Looks like I'm going to have to clean up one of your messes," Kyoya said, the smile was now gone from his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone as he loosened his tie with his other hand. "Tachibana, bring the car around this instant."

* * *

Tachibana held the black door to the car open for me to step inside, but Ootori nearly shoved me inside before following me in. He slammed the door behind himself and we waited in an uneasy silence for Tachibana to start the car.

This was bad. I had gotten myself into a huge mess here. Not only did I offend Akito, but in doing so I put Ootori in a bad position with his family.

The leather seats felt stickier than usual and it wasn't even hot inside.

After a few minutes, Ootori finally spoke.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said in an aggravated voice. His arms were folded across his chest and his eyebrows were furrowed downwards.

I felt my anger spike. "You didn't even hear the way he was talking to me! Like I was some kind of cheap hussy who would just run off with him and let him have his way with me. He even called me trash!"

"That was a very dangerous thing to do," Ootori said, ignoring my protests and speaking in a tone that was lower than usual. He sounded as if he was scolding me like I was sort some of young child who had almost got lured into the back of predator's van.

I snorted. "He needed to be knocked down a few pegs. If you had only waited a few more seconds to stop me I would have smacked the snot out of him." I waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Anyway, it's not like he could make me do anything. I would never in a million years let him-"

I didn't even have time to finish my sentence. In one quick, fluid movement, Ootori had grabbed my hand and used his other hand to push against my shoulder. He pinned my body down on the seat so he was hovering over me in a dominant position with me laying uselessly underneath his thin frame.

What the hell?

"It doesn't matter if you say you wouldn't let him to anything to you, he's older than I am and probably physically stronger as well. If I was able to pin you down so easily just think of what he could have done."

My eyes were wide like a deer caught in a pair of headlights as his grey eyes bore into him. He was being deadly serious and it was frightening. My heart was racing, knowing I was as helpless as a baby gazelle that had been caught by a ferocious and hungry lion.

"Hmph, I'm not hearing any big words now," he mocked darkly as he maintained his position over me. His hands were cold, the contact they made with the flesh around my wrists sent icy chills up and down my spine.

I wrung my hands and wriggled pathetically in an attempt to free myself, but he didn't even flinch. Was I really this weak? He looked so thin and lanky, when did he become this strong?

I tried not to tremble, but lips couldn't stop quivering. I turned my head towards the glass partition to the side of us that separated our part of the limousine from the driver to avoid Ootori's cold eyes.

I exhaled heavily and gave in. "I-I see your point."

After a few more tense seconds, he released me and sat up straight, he instantly regained his collected and cool composure. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose with his index and middle finger then closed his eyes. "Good."

I slowly pushed my self back up as the car lurched to a stop.

"We're at your apartment, miss." Tachibana informed me. I heard his car door open and him step out onto the sidewalk.

I felt my eyes get watery, but I wiped away the wetness with the back of my hands, smearing my mascara in the process.

Tachibana opened the door on my side to let me out.

"Thank you," I said quietly as I stepped out.

He walked me over to the staircase that led up to my apartment.

"I know the young master seems a bit harsh at times," Tachibana started in a hushed voice, "but he wouldn't have done that if hadn't been worried."

"And that's supposed to comfort me?" I retorted harshly. It felt more like he was trying to teach me a lesson.

"Ootori men can be dangerous, it's best not to provoke them." He turned on his heel and returned to the limousine, there was probably more he wanted to say, but he could obviously tell that I was in no mood to hear any of it.

"Too late for that," I mumbled in reference to how dangerous the Ootori Group was. I was already well aware of what they were capable of.

More like three years too late, I thought to myself as I started up the staircase.

**A/n: **A CHALLENGER APPEARS! Akito, is one of Kyoya's older brothers and he is going to be a troublesome fellow for our dear heroine and the Shadow King.

Thank you for all the wonderful and encouraging reviews!

Musical Inspiration- Monster by Lady Gaga

Peace out.

P.S. I'm thinking of writing a Naruto fanfic, does that mean I'm slightly crazy?


	9. Talks

**Chapter 9 of The Bird and the Worm: Talks**

"Your behavior at the fundraising event was unacceptable," Ootori said smoothly as he took a sip from his steaming cup of tea.

We were sitting inside a little, cramped Parisian inspired café. The walls were decorated with simplistic murals of the wide Paris boulevards, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. The décor seemed more fitting of someone who had dreamt of going to Paris their whole life, but never had. It still had a quaint charm to it, but it seemed strange that he would pick this as a meeting place.

Ootori had also purposely dressed down for the occasion by wearing a plain button up shirt and jeans, but he was still attracting a lot of attention from the female patrons. Even in normal clothes he stood out like a sore thumb. Perhaps I should suggest he wear a pair of Groucho Marx glasses?

"_My_ behavior was unacceptable? And I guess your brother is just getting away with acting like a complete perv without so much as a slap on the wrist." Of course Akito was going to get away with it, he was filthy rich and had been raised to think he could talk to and treat others however he wanted. "Believe me when I say that the next time I'm in the same room as that insufferable man I'm going to-"

"To what?" Ootori cut me off in a condescending tone. "Give him a sound verbal lashing? Punch his lights out? You do realize how ridiculous it is that you think you are in any position to take someone in my family down a peg, right?"

I threw my hands up in the air. "Why are you defending him? Or do you actually like sharing the same genes as him?"

His brows furrowed and his gaze darkened.

I arched an eyebrow as he remained quiet. "Ohh, did I just strike a nerve?"

"My opinion on my brother is none of you business."

"So you do dislike him, too. Good to know."

"You're lucky I was able to smooth over the matter with my father or else he would be demanding to meet you," Ootori continued, heeding no mind to any of his gawking female admirers "You need to be more self aware or this isn't going to work."

I nibbled nervously on my croissant, ignoring my coffee. "I still don't understand why _I_ have to do this? Couldn't you get any girl from the academy to act as your floozy?"

He stared at me coldly. "I have a reputation to protect at Ouran, due to club activities I have to seem available at all times. I can't play favorites among the customers there."

"It must be hard being popular," I grumbled quietly. "But there will eventually be rumors of this 'Hanabusa Yuiko', you know that, right? And once there are rumors people will start digging to find any information they can."

A calm, confident smile graced Ootori's thin lips. "You don't need to worry about that, I've taken care of it."

I wish I could share his confidence on the matter. "So, is there any particular reason why you wanted to see me today other than to lecture me? And why the hell do you always take me out to eat? You think you can win me over with food, don't you?"

"Well, you are enjoying your croissant, aren't you?"

I blinked at him as I wiped crumbs off my lip with my thumb. I could feel my face redden from to ear in embarrassment.

"Yes, but that's beside the point!"

In my defense, the croissant was _delicious_.

"And you do seem to be less grumpy with a full stomach."

I pouted. "Now you're just making fun of me..."

"You do make it too easy," he chuckled as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair.

I propped my elbow up on the table and rested my cheek against my knuckles. I started feeling more bothered and self-conscious than usual in his presence. I shifted my shoulders to the side and turned away from him in order to hide my annoyed expression from his view.

What was wrong with me? I was acting like a child and I knew it.

I finally huffed loudly after a few minutes of tense silence. "So are you going to answer my question or not? You must want something more from me than my lovely presence by your sides at such events."

"I just feel like keeping an eye on you," he answered without even glancing up at me from his cup of tea.

I rolled my eyes. "Afraid that another Ishida might almost tarnish your family's good name? Is that why you're keeping me on a tight leash?"

"Something like that."

I stood up and pounded my fists on the table. "I am nothing like my father!"

My abrupt outburst drew a few curious stares from other patrons.

I reminded myself that this wasn't the time or place to bring up any of the bad blood between the Ishida and Ootori family and quickly sat back down.

"It's merely fate that our paths have crossed," Ootori said in a matter of fact tone, "but I, unlike my father, intend to keep a much closer eye on you and your family this time around."

My eyes widened a bit. "You...you honestly think that after all this time my family wants anything to do with you?" I had trouble masking the anger in my voice. "Yes, it may be just fate that our paths crossed again and I wish that I never had to set sights on your mug ever again, but if you think my family has been silently plotting some sort of pathetic revenger scheme then you're delusional!"

"It never hurts to be careful." He eyed me wearily. "Our fathers were close once and, well, you know how that turned out..."

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," I said in a snide tone as I glowered at him. "At least you aren't naïve. We are most definitely not friends."

"I was never under the impression we were anything else."

I knew there was something else that calculating mind of his wasn't telling me. I studied his calm posture and his air of superiority as he sat across from me. My family may be ruined, but that didn't mean I wasn't sharp. If only I could figure out what he truly wanted. It was clear he was no fan of my father and after everything that had happened, I wasn't so sure I was either, but there was something scheming in that horribly intelligent brain of his. He needed me for a reason other than to merely keep an eye on me. And why risk flaunting me at public events? Someone was bound to recognize me sooner or later.

"You're quiet for once," he smirked as he sipped his tea. "How unusual. I remember in class you were such a social butterfly, you always had something amusing to say, and you always smiled. You were such an interesting person to watch."

"Hmph, sounds like you were quiet a fan of mine when you put it that way. Most of the girls at that school were like that too."

He nodded with a faint smile before leaning forward in his chair in an almost menacing manner. He rested his chin on his hand with his elbow propped on the table. "True, true. But at least they are genuine."

My expression soured. "And what makes you think I wasn't being genuine?"

"Because you and I are alike. Calculating. Knowledgable." He paused and smiled. "And ruthlessly ambitious. We both know how to play the game to achieve what we desire."

I stiffened. "And what exactly did I desire?"

"To overcome any roadblock that stood in your way, even me."

My face softened and I found myself chuckling under my breath. "How dramatic, but not far from the truth."

"If your father had succeeded your family might be the most powerful medical group in the country now instead of-"

"-instead of the Ootori family." I finished for him with a sheepish grin.

He sighed heavily. "Exactly."

"Funny how things turn out." I muttered dreamily. Things could have been so much different. My mother, sister, and I wouldn't have had to resign ourselves to live a life in squalor. Our relatives wouldn't have disowned us. Father would still be around...

Ootori sensed my change in demeanor. He stood up after a heavy silence, took out his wallet from his back pocket, and left enough money on the table to cover both of our meal expenses.

"Do I need to pay you back for this too?" I joked as indifference washed over me. What more was a couple measly yen to my debt?

He looked over his shoulder at me as he headed for the door. "No. You've already paid enough this time." And then he was gone. The bell on the entrance door chimed as it swung shut behind him.

I gazed at his unfinished cup of tea across the table from me. My shoulders felt heavy, but there was nothing on them. Did he pity me or was that really a small act of kindness on his part? He wouldn't bother with me unless he had something to gain from any of this.

I was nothing more than a tool to him, but to what end?

* * *

**A/n: UPDDDAAAATTTTTEEEE and under new pen name for this site as well ^^ **

Ugh, I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing. Video games, crippling depression, college, mono, anemia, etc take a lot of energy out of me :c Thank you all for you patience! Your reviews and kind words mean a lot to me.

And It seems there is more to Michi than meets the eye ;o

Musical Inspiration- _I Want It All _from the High School Musical 3 soundtrack (don't judge me, it's fabulous)

Peace out.


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